health Archives - Page 2 of 11 - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

Inflammation Foods

March 2, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Inflammation is a word that makes a person think of a response to an injury or infection. We suspect a problem when we see skin that is red and swollen. This type of inflammation is obvious. However, there is another type of inflammation that we cannot see that is much more problematic and dangerous. It is the inflammation that lies beneath the surface that can create health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and even cancer.

Food is the main contributor to this type of inflammation, specifically the Western Diet.

Sugar (also known as fructose, sucrose, or any word ending in -ose)
Saturated fats (pizza and cheese are the biggest contributors)
Trans fats (fast food restaurants, processed snacks, frozen breakfasts, donuts, crackers and cookies)
Excess omega-6 (most salad dressings, mayonnaise, and oils such as corn, soy, peanut and vegetable)
Refined carbohydrates (white flour products, white rice, and white potatoes)
Mono-sodium glutamate, or MSG (added to some prepared Asian foods, soy sauce, deli meats, and salad dressings)
Gluten and casein (wheat, rye, and barley products; whey products)
Aspartame (sodas, gum, candies, yogurt)
Alcohol

To know if you are suffering from chronic inflammation, your Chiropractor can perform specific testing. But, maybe you’d like to know what to look for first. While these symptoms are not definitive, they do give you a reason to look further:

You’re feeling depressed.
Your stomach is hurting quite often.
Tired is your middle name.

These clues do not mean you are suffering from chronic inflammation, however, they do potentially indicate a problem. Look at what you are eating each day. Is it filled with many of the inflammatory foods listed above? Have you ever done a cleanse? Many times, the first step is realizing there is a problem. Once you know, steps can be taken to remedy it.

Fatty Liver Disease

February 7, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Not many of us think about fatty liver disease. In fact, most of us make the assumption that only alcohol and drugs contribute to this disease. Fatty liver disease is increasing because of the Western diet, which includes highly processed foods, fast food, and sugary drinks. However, a precursor to this disease is an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and liver inflammation. In 2004, to prove this epidemic, Morgan Spurlock created a highly controversial documentary called Super Size Me. In it, he chronicled his month-long journey, consuming only McDonald’s food and the effect it had on him.

When we choose convenience with food, we typically sacrifice our health. At first, the impact is unnoticeable. Yet, as time goes, on our body becomes less equipped to handle the nutritional deficiencies offered by convenience. Over a period of 30 days, Morgan watched himself change. His body mass increased by 13%, his cholesterol spiked, he experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and a staggering increase in his liver enzymes. All that from convenience food!

Unfortunately, just because food available to purchase it does not mean it is good for you. While it probably tastes very good, that does not make it good for your body. We must stop equating good taste and convenience with healthy. Fast food companies and processed food manufacturers are in business to make money. That means they must sell. To do that means convincing you to purchase the food they make with creative advertising, gimmicky promotions, convenience, and attractive prices. What we choose to eat is up to us.

Most alarming to Morgan and his doctors was the effect this diet had on his liver. Often, fatty liver disease has no symptoms. However, it is common for a person to have insulin resistance, extra weight, and type 2 diabetes. These should be viewed as symptoms. Regular eating of a Western diet increases the likelihood of developing fatty liver disease. Morgan’s diet created an overabundance of fat cells in his liver which then began to leak into his bloodstream. The speed at which this happened to his liver concerned his doctors because many Americans eat a Western diet every day.

It is time to stop making excuses as to why we need that donut or why we need to hit the drive-thru. It should not matter what advertisements say to us or what the latest promotion is. We need to value our health more than we value saving a dollar. The obesity trend can be reversed, but it is up to each individual to do our part.

Advertising Unhealthy Lifestyles

January 31, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

We will never live in a world without commercials. It would be nice, but commercials pay for the programming we watch and listen to on the radio. Companies that use this form of advertising for their product or service are hoping to attract more business. Regulations are in place to ensure that what is advertised is safe; however, there are no regulations in place to ensure that the product is not unhealthy. We must decide that for ourselves.

Recently, I heard a radio ad for life insurance asking if I enjoyed eating wings, mashed potatoes and gravy. If I was then this life insurance was for me. I could get the coverage I wanted for my family, yet still enjoy the lifestyle I wanted. As an added bonus I could also receive the company’s recipe for fried chicken! I kept waiting for the punch line, thinking it was obviously a joke, but none came. Here is a company leveraging American’s unhealthy lifestyle and increasing obesity rates to benefit their bottom-line. Is it safe? Yes. Is this product in our best interest? No.

We must be smarter than the companies that are advertising to us. Making assumptions that simply because the product or service is advertised it is in our best interest. This situation has contributed to the health crisis we face today from obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a sedentary lifestyle. Instead, most of us chose the path of least resistance, allowing companies to make millions on unhealthy choices and the consequences that follow. Perhaps it’s time to hold ourselves accountable and change this trend.

Think about the various commercials and advertisements you see and hear each day. What comes to mind? Cars, pharmaceuticals, weight loss products, chain restaurants, colas. Only those companies with the highest revenue can afford to invest in this form of marketing. Does this mean these products are safe? Not necessarily. Does this mean these products are in our best interest? Not necessarily. Advertising does not equal best or ideal. It only means the company had enough money to invest, whether or not the product is good.

Think about all the healthy things that are not advertised from organic produce, water, cage-free eggs, toxin-free cleaning products, and even chiropractic care. Should the benefits be discounted due to lack of high profile advertising? Should we let ourselves be swayed by what we see on television and hear on the radio? At what point do we assume responsibility for ourselves and our health?

Why a Car Accident Is Never Minor

January 26, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Why do we minimize pain? It seems that no matter the situation, from truly minor to extremely major, we brush it off and move on as if nothing happened. Watch any sporting event and observe how players experience serious physical contact yet get right back in the game again. Or the people on the side of the road after a car accident, declining the trip to the emergency room because they “feel fine.” Feeling fine does not mean our body is fine. If that was the case, then we would know the moment a cancer cell becomes a threat to our health.

A police officer was referred to DCW after experiencing a minor crash during a high speed chase that he walked away from. On the surface he appeared uninjured. Yes, there is no immediate trauma that requires emergency attention; however, what about the micro-trauma inside the body from the impact?

The average car weighs 4,000 pounds, or 2-tons. In the case of the cop, he was pursuing a suspect in his car and traveling fast. This energy of motion is called kinetic energy. The faster the motion the higher the energy. While there are many safety features in a car to protect us like seat belts, air bags, and shatterproof glass, we are still delicate flesh traveling inside a metal container. Upon impact, the car is designed to absorb as much kinetic energy as possible. However, the faster the car is moving the less time the car has to absorb the energy. So, where does it go then? To us. Our body absorbs it.

To ensure that our body is functioning as it should after any car accident, a visit to the chiropractor is a must. Why? Because symptoms may not present themselves until several weeks later. Minor misalignment in the spine can affect different parts of the body and can cause significant problems later on. Be proactive and see your chiropractor after a car accident, no matter how minor. This approach will save you unnecessary pain and suffering, not to mention money.

Standards of Care in Chiropractic

January 24, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Standard, defined as “a level of quality or attainment.” Synonyms for the word standard are quality, guideline, norm, and ideal. Our daily life involves many standards, or guidelines, of care including:

the food pyramid
an academic grading scale
recommended daily physical activity
ideal weight
adequate sleep
water intake
alcohol consumption
medical check-ups

Research helps to define the standards we live by today. For example, the surgeon general determined after conclusive research that smoking was bad for your health, specifically linked to lung cancer. Therefore, not smoking is a standard for optimal health just as 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week is the standard. Having guidelines helps us to live as healthy as possible. In the field of chiropractic, there is also a standard of care, too.

One of the most popular myths about chiropractors is that you need to keep going once you start. Yet there is some truth to this myth because of the physicality of the adjustment. The doctor is training the body, much like we do when we exercise. Stopping the adjustments is similar to stopping exercising. We all know what happens when we stop working out. Our weight starts to creep up. We lose muscle mass. Our energy level declines. Chiropractic adjustments keeps our body in alignment so it can function as it is intended to. Without this type of care, daily life negatively impacts our body. Aches and pains return.

Ironically, despite knowing about guidelines and recommendations society tells us that we don’t always follow them. If we did, we would not have an obesity epidemic, smoking would cease, and every student would receive an A. Free will gives us the choice and all too often we choose poorly. The good news however is that we can choose differently which can reverse unhealthy trends.

Standards of care exist chiropractic, as well. This standard is one adjustment per week as it is meant to be proactive. Just like visiting your dentist every 6 months to prevent cavities. Visiting the chiropractor keeps the body functioning as it should rather than letting the daily wear and tear of life compromise it. And yes, that is exactly what life does. We go through each day incurring a series of micro-traumas from falling, playing a sport, working out, and poor posture. Yet a simple and painless adjustment once a week and significantly offset this.

The choice is ultimately ours to make. And while knowledge is power, it really only is when we do something with it.

Replacing One Bad Habit With Another

January 10, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

It is not uncommon for us to substitute one vice for another, thinking we are choosing the lesser of two evils. Take smoking, for example. With the introduction of the e-cigarette in 2004, smokers who were trying to quit had a new option. This new option gives them the best of both worlds, the sensation and effects of smoking without the harmful side effects. Or do they, because there still exists a habit?

In May of 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would begin extending its authority to include this previously unregulated market. This came about in large part due to the efforts of the American Lung Association. E-cigarettes still contain many of the cancer causing chemicals regular cigarettes do, although in smaller numbers. Carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzine. In addition, e-cigarettes give users the impression that it is safer than smoking. Let’s look at the facts:

Almost all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.
Nicotine is harmful to the developing fetus both for the developing brain and lung functions.
Low birth weights and preterm births have been associated to nicotine exposure.
Adolescent brain development is at risk with nicotine, especially with memory and attention.
There are many unknown chemical in e-cigarettes, which alone is very concerning.
Flavoring/taste are one of the major reasons adolescents try e-cigarettes for the first time.
The Centers for Disease Control has reported an alarming increase in the number of e-cigarette exposure poisonings.
Second-hand emissions contain carcinogens formaldehyde, benzine, plus nitrosamines.
No one knows the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on our health.

There is no denying that smoking is bad on our health, it is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. So, does replacing smoking with e-cigarettes really a solution? Or is it merely a band-aid to cover up the addiction? Wellness is a state of mind where a bad habit is broken, not replaced by another one. A bad habit can run the gamut from smoking, to overeating, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive alcohol consumption, and diet sodas. Truly changing means being honest with ourselves and what we are doing to our body. The field of chiropractic care takes that honest approach to health, without depending on medications or invasive procedures to cover up the problem. A chiropractor is your wellness partners for life by helping you to eliminate those bad habits and thrive.

Avoid the “Perfect Storm” of Disease-Care

January 5, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

In 2000, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg starred in the movie “The Perfect Storm”. It is based on the true story of a commercial fishing vessel lost at sea during a storm. This storm was exceedingly rare due to the combination of adverse weather factors. In the chiropractic world, we see a lot of people who got caught in a perfect storm. Negative and unpredictable factors affect their lives in such a way that their quality of life is significantly diminished. Factors such as:

a sedentary lifestyle
car accident
work related injury
smoking
poor diet
diabetes
obesity
chronic pain

Some factors can be self-made, others can be simply bad luck or hereditary. Either way, these factors can create a perfect storm that equates to illness. At Damron Chiropractic & Wellness our goal is wellness for life. We take a person’s perfect storm and work with them utilizing chiropractic, rehabilitation, massage and nutrition.

We hear a lot about disease care with people suffering from chronic conditions. Rarely is there any press on wellness. Wellness means that a person is feeling good and looking good. In our world, being well means the perfect storm is over and that person can get back to doing what they love with a higher quality of life.

Life can give us lemons, and lots of them. But we do have a choice. We can choose to settle for what life hands us or decide to seek help. This does not mean using a band-aid approach either, as tempting as that might be. Rather, it means finding a resolution once and for all by ignoring disease-care. Disease-care actually cares for the disease and not finding out what is causing it in the first place. The presenting symptoms may appear to be coming from the leg, but it is really nerve interference in the spine. Treating the leg pain with disease-care does not address the nerve interference in the spine. Consequently, the leg pain will return. That is not wellness.

If you suspect a perfect storm in your life there is a solution. Life happens, but wellness does not, unless you decide to seek it out.

Medications Are Not Our “Norm”

January 3, 2017 By Pam Rezai 1 Comment

Have you ever been in a situation where someone leaves you speechless? And not speechless in a good way, either. While at a recent holiday gathering, a friend was talking about her recent health scare. However, the way she said it, one could tell it wasn’t a scare at all. It was almost as if it was her “norm”, therefore she was okay with it. You see, she was admitting that she had a problem, but was acting as if she didn’t because nothing changed. She continued to live her life as she had been, medications and all.

Prescription medications offer us a chance to cover up what is wrong with us, rather than correct it. From type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and pain. This approach gives us a false sense of reality and the impression that life is full of quick fixes. It also sends the false message that we can continue to treat our body poorly and get away with it. We cannot help that we feel this way because modern media has inundated us with this incorrect message. It’s almost as if big business never wants us to think for ourselves.

The scary truth is that a vast majority of our society thinks this way. In 2015, the north american pharmaceutical industry represented almost 50% of the global market, which totals $1072 billion! What would happen to this industry if people treated their bodies differently? If they fed themselves whole foods, exercised regularly, drank alcohol in moderation, didn’t smoke, got sufficient sleep, and watched their weight. Would we behave differently if we didn’t have a safety net in medications?

In this new year, perhaps one of your resolutions should be one that seeks the truth, while also one that stops you from settling for less than. Rip off those band-aids you are using to cover up the real problem, be it your excess weight, chronic pain, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Empower yourself to live your best life without the crutches. If you are on any medications, ask yourself why? Do you have control over whether or not you are on them? Or can you change your life in such a way that you no longer need them?

Stop settling and making assumptions about your health, but most of all love yourself enough to do something about it.

Good Health Does Not Equal a Diet

December 29, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

One of the most successful women in the world is Oprah Winfrey. From her early days as a talk show host to a producer and actress later. As her career evolved so did her weight. On the television screen we have seen Oprah’s weight fluctuate between the extremes as she tried different diets. Most recently, this legendary woman has done something we can all learn from. She has let go of the hold food has had on her and instead uses it to nourish and sustain her. But, most importantly, she uses it to connect herself with others.

As we approach the new year and the habitual pull of the need to commit to a resolution, perhaps it’s time to change it up. The top resolution for last year, according to Statistic Brain, was to lose weight. While that may not be surprising, what is is the failure rate. Only 8% of those surveyed who made a resolution succeeded. We learned from Oprah’s visibility that a special diet simply does not work in the long run. While weight loss is initially achieved, it is simply not sustainable. Why? Because life happens.

Even our best intentions cannot stop life from happening. Our schedules change at the last minute, we get sick, sustain an injury, travel for business. Non-sustainable diets reveal themselves because we don’t have what we need when we need it, leaving us to find something else to eat. We cannot live in a vacuum. Oprah teaches us that our relationship with our wellness is an intimate one. Food is an essential piece of our overall health. It is the fuel that sustains us, ideally for the long haul.

However, probably even more important than Oprah’s food message is her new perspective on her own health. Being healthy is not about being skinny. It is not about losing weight for the sake of losing weight. Rather, it is about honoring you. Honoring your uniqueness and not trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Being active, eating a healthy diet, getting sufficient sleep, being joyful, not smoking and drinking in moderation are all important steps in living well. Healthy does not equal skinny. It actually equals a lifestyle.

In this new year, change your perspective on what it means to thrive. Feed your soul, nourish your body. Treat it as the temple it really is. With honor and respect.

Challenge the Status Quo

December 20, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Hindsight is 20/20, right? You know that because you’ve heard people say, “if only I knew then what I know now.” Many times our own ignorance prevents us from considering other options to make a better decision. We are content with the status quo. In the field of chiropractic, it’s those hindsight people who find themselves seeking care from a chiropractor. These individuals realize that they initially let their preconceived ideas lead them down the wrong path of care. The price paid for this choice was a misdiagnosis, money, time, and experiencing pain longer than necessary.

The point of this post is to emphasize a basic fact of human nature. We are much more cynical than we realize. Take, for example, the presidential debates. It was obvious that no one was listening to the other. There are many “great divides” out there from:

political parties
religions
schools
countries
medicine

Depending on how we were raised and our life experiences, we may significantly limit ourselves by sticking with what we know rather than challenging the status quo. Imagine if the status quo was never challenged as we look back over history. The New World would never have been discovered, electricity would not have been invented, man would never have landed on the moon nor taken flight. Not accepting the status quo, or majority thinking, means dealing with people who oppose what you are doing. It means taking what is known and dispelling what was believed to be true. Imagine how much courage it took to continue on anyways.

Chiropractic is a field many consider to challenge the status quo. Modern medicine dominates our lives. While modern medicine has done incredible things, it has also completely overshadowed the benefits of other forms of health care. This dominance has created a mindset that accepts modern medicine as the status quo, questioning anything that is conflicting, like chiropractic. But just like Christopher Columbus, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, and Neil Armstrong, the world became a better place. Mankind’s quality of life improved. Benefits were gained that were not realized before. The field of chiropractic is the same type of scenario.

More and more people recognize the need to advocate for themselves. Doing so changes their mindset on what it means to be truly healthy. Challenge the status quo when it comes to chiropractic care and you can change your world.

Inflammation Foods

Fatty Liver Disease

Advertising Unhealthy Lifestyles

Why a Car Accident Is Never Minor

Standards of Care in Chiropractic

Replacing One Bad Habit With Another

Avoid the “Perfect Storm” of Disease-Care

Medications Are Not Our “Norm”

Good Health Does Not Equal a Diet

Challenge the Status Quo

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Dr. Andrew Damron, Chiropractor

Dr. Greg Washam, Chiropractor

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